https://strategylab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/why-flexing-is-a-bad-idea.jpg14002100Jephhttps://stratlabnew.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MadeWithLove-strategy-lab-logo-copy.pngJeph2018-05-21 10:53:242018-05-21 20:39:53What is "Flexing"? And Why You Shouldn't

Welcome to the creative lottery, whether you stumble upon this by coincidence or a wonderful friend of your told you about this page you are very lucky. Whether you’re just starting with design or you want to perfect your craft, a session with Dr. Eddy will blow your creative mind. You’re going to need Photoshop, Illustrator will help too, over a four week period expect your brain to start leaking creative thoughts. You’ll be designing in your sleep, crafting beautifully design toast art every morning. This class will literally change your creative life.

Do you love the way things looks? Are you even a small fan of art? Do have a more than serious relationship with pizza? This creative class could be for you!

How to create files for print as well as files for the website (and knowing the difference between the two)

How to pick a colour scheme that looks good and goes well together

How to downsize a photo without losing quality

How to quickly edit a photo to make it look good

In all seriousness, the cost is $149, basically to cover the cost of Dr. Eddy’s Pizza. You get four classes on four Friday’s in a row (June 9, June 16, June 23, June 30 @ 6pm-9pmISH). You’ll be making logo’s, updating brochures, making postcards, designing and creating murals downtown Regina, heck anything you can imagine, you can create.

Put your PJ’s on and pop on by the @StratLab office, you’re going to learn a TON and have a blast doing it.

Stop Buying Brand Names!

Ten years ago as an angsty little marketer, I wanted to explore why I was leaning more and more towards “No-Name” Products, so I wrote this; The No-Name Strategy. You know the No-name brands, every supermarket has their “own”. At Superstore: No Name, and President’s Choice. At Safeway, Select (my Grand parents never bought regular pop), at Sobey’s it’s Compliments, at Costco it’s Kirkland.

Almost every grocery store has their own brands which tend to be cheaper than their comparable branded counterparts. So why are we buying the more expensive one? Do you feel you trust it more? What bad stuff could be in the generic version?! For a long time I’ve bought generic pop citing that I still can’t taste the difference. Though teaching my first class I did divulge the fact that when I first moved out of my house and living with a roommate, we used to purchase no-name pop for the house but branded Coke or Ginger Ale if we were going to a party, why in the heck would we do such a thing?

It’s moments like this that I love marketing for, moments that make you feel so humble, so, well, dumb in moments of pure showing of ego.

The fact that we didn’t want to be seen at a party with “No-name Cola” was a sign of where our confidence was at. After all, you know what the studies show, the larger the brand name on your chest, the smaller the ego. Or what the economics community calls Conspicuous Consumption; buying things to signal to others your wealth. Not a healthy practice to be into, I know because for the majority of my life I loved brands, wore brands, and had to have the new “cool” thing.

Buying quality products is one thing, refusing to purchase items because they are unbranded is silly. The problem with that is it’s not sustainable and teaches the wrong lesson. Life’s not about stuff. It’s about impact, experiences, and love. Things help you measure your status, but the moment you purchase something just because “you can” doesn’t mean you should. Humility goes much further than the person with the newest “thing”.

You aren’t in the in crowd unless you’re doing what the cool people do! Who decides what’s “cool”? Since the dawn of time some people have just been better trend setters than others, those that understand it know what to look for. They easily convince us to buy the next iPhone, headphones, Xbox, TV, etc. The best brands are the ones to trust…..right? You can’t possibly buy the generic brand, can you? Read more

https://strategylab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/how-to-Save-Money-on-Groceries-and-Drugs.jpg5701000Jephhttps://stratlabnew.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MadeWithLove-strategy-lab-logo-copy.pngJeph2017-05-15 23:06:482017-05-15 23:06:48How To Save Money On Groceries and Drugs

How do you pick a website domain?

Two words: chat roulette

Kidding!

YES, finally someone answers all those questions we’ve had over the past two years about domain names and best practices for picking a URL. It’s changed so much because of how competitive search engine results have become.

At one time you could have bought the domain name “www.ReginaWebsites.com” and you’d get all the organic traffic for people search for websites in Regina. Times have changed. You can’t just “get” to the front page by setting up a keyword heavy domain name. Yes there will be exceptions to the rule and if you’re on the front page of Google with very little work it won’t last long.

Make it brand-able and pronounceable

https://strategylab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/How-do-you-pick-a-website-domain-name.jpg19422913Jephhttps://stratlabnew.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MadeWithLove-strategy-lab-logo-copy.pngJeph2016-07-31 11:11:332016-12-17 21:18:28How To Pick A Website Domain Name

Why You Should Run Your Business Like a Good Landlord.

Yasher Zareh, Director of Operations at Nighthawk Properties in Regina (a property rental and building management company here in Regina), is interviewed by our very own Conrad HewittChief Social Officer at Strategy Lab and a current renter in Regina. Conrad asks about the relationship you have to keep as a landlord. With the assumption you want to maintain the best relationship as possible with your renter.

It’s a delicate relationship. As a landlord you deal with family emergencies, building emergencies and whatever other kind of emergencies you have to deal with.

You can’t be a jerk anymore! You have to maintain a positive relationship with your renters.

Communication is so vitally important. In 2016 where everything is digital and you can text anyone anything! We get lazy in our communication. We don’t use a phone call when we can text and no context is shared in a text message Nd we have a communication breakdown. It IS 2016 that’s what makes phone calls so much more important to use.

“Your property is your brand. Every time someone comes into contact with your brand(property) they either like it a little more or a little less.” -Conrad Hewitt

https://strategylab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Why-you-should-treat-your-business-like-a-good-landlord.jpg10842000Jephhttps://stratlabnew.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MadeWithLove-strategy-lab-logo-copy.pngJeph2016-03-17 07:37:162018-02-14 00:12:11Why You Should Run Your Business Like A Good Landlord // EPS 49 #inthelab

How The Golden Rule Applies To Your Social Media Strategy

Common sense is not so common when it comes to social media.“Businesses act too much like businesses online” – Conrad Hewitt

Conrad shares with us why he thinks a lot of companies get it wrong with it comes to social media and their online marketing presence. Running accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram he sees it all right now and from the sounds of it he’s not happy! It’s easy to sound professional and to echo “business jargon”, it’s hard to create a personality that people come to like and trust.

It’s hard to argue against developing a personality online with so many local examples (@ReginaPolice, @KiltedBroker, @Eric_Dillon, @BradWall, @Nenshi). All these folks don’t exactly “follow the rules” when it comes to social and their fans absolutely adore it. Don’t take yourself (or your business) to seriously online.

With the amount of options we all have to buy what you are selling from someone else, you have to figure out a way to cut through the clutter. Being different is now the safest thing your brand can be.

Being Different Doesn’t Mean Being Goofy

It’s bothered me for a while now. I give people my business card or a lottery ticket, they smile and the first thing they say is, “Oh we can’t be goofy like that!!” Well no $!%& Sherlock!! I don’t expect you to outright copy what we do, it’s the thought that matters. It’s the intention of being a little bit different in a lot of little ways. Read more

https://strategylab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/You-Dont-Have-to-be-Goofy-to-be-Different.jpg9792000Jephhttps://stratlabnew.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MadeWithLove-strategy-lab-logo-copy.pngJeph2016-01-07 18:05:582016-01-14 18:08:30You Don't Have to be Goofy to be Different // eps 43 #InTheLab

This week Eddy and I are talking about perspective. Why do we trust designer? What do create professionals see that others do not? What’s so special about having taste?

Trust your designer

There’s a reason they are a designer, they have perspective. Trust them. Any creative needs some free reign over what they’re doing, they are artists after all. Don’t micro manage any creative process, that’s a great way to create something extremely mediocre. Read more